Blog

  • The Endocannabinoid System: Slowly Unraveling the Unknown

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    The human body is a complex network of interacting systems, each with its own set of responsibilities. Among these intricate systems is the endocannabinoid system (ECS), a fascinating and relatively recent discovery in the field of neuroscience.

  • Is Delaware on the Right Track?

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    Recently, the Delaware House of Representatives, following ideas from Washington D.C., passed a law to do two things:  (1) remove the list of qualifying conditions from their medical cannabis laws, and (2) allow people over the age of 65 to “self-certify” that they need marijuana for medical purposes.

  • ACS Guidance to Hawaii on Anxiety Treatment

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    Dear Madam/Sir: I write to you to support the petitions before you to include anxiety, depression, and insomnia as qualifying conditions for medical cannabis treatment in Hawai’i.

  • Come See ACS at AAPM Booth 1! March 7-10, 2024

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    The Association of Cannabinoid Specialists will be active at the American Academy of Pain Medicine's 40th Annual Meeting in Scottsdale, AZ from March 7-10, 2024.  Come talk to us, learn from us, and join us as we work toward making cannabis a mainstream pain management option.

  • Cannabis and Heart Disease: What Do We Really Know?

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    This week there has been a flurry of discussion about cannabis’ harmful effects on the heart.  I have received numerous anxiety-ridden emails from colleagues, patients, and my mother (she’s not on cannabis, go figure).  This all stems from a recently published scientific paper in the Journal of the American Heart Association. (1)

  • Member Spotlight: Sandra Carrillo, MD, MHSM

    Sandra Carrillo

    Q: Tell us a little bit about yourself.

    A: My name is Sandra Carrillo, and I am a medical doctor. I have had a clinical practice in Colombia for several years.  I am a specialist in cannabinoid-based medicine.

  • ACS Guidance to Massachusetts on Veteran Care

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    Dear Members of the Joint Committee:

    As one of the senior cannabis physicians in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, President of the Association of Cannabis Specialists, Board Member of the Massachusetts Patient Advocacy Alliance, and former VA physician I wish to convey some very specific concerns regarding House Bill 4274. Despite vocal advocacy by a few veterans, this bill is not in the interests of veterans or other patients.

  • ACS Response to JAMA article entitled Most Doctors Know Nothing About Cannabis

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    In an editorial in JAMA, Dr. Nathaniel Morris, a recent Stanford graduate, laments that even in California where medical cannabis has been available since 1996, no medical education on cannabis was provided to him during medical school or residency.

  • ACS Response to Oil (Vape) Pen Ban

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    The currently posed question of when or whether the embargoed oil cartridges can be released for sale has at least two separate issues embedded. First is the question of the safety of these particular cartridges, and the second is the safety of any such cartridges that use current technology. Both of these questions would reasonably need to be affirmed prior to sales.

  • Prescription Vs. Recommendation

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    Since the inception of medical cannabis legalization in California in 1996, physicians have only been able to write a “recommendation”. This was intended, at that time, to keep the practitioners out of trouble with the government by providing only a document stating that the benefits likely outweighed the risks.